LibGuides: Utopian Literature: Researching Utopian Literature

Searching the Catalog

Library of Congress Subject Headings for Utopian Literature

Researchers can use the following list of LC headings to perform subject-based queries for examples of and books about utopian literature in all library catalogs. Results will include both primary and secondary sources.

Useful Free Online Resources

Useful Databases

Eighteenth-Century Collections Online (ECCO)
Includes full texts of works published in the UK during the 18th century plus thousands from elsewhere. The 18th century was a fertile period for imaginary voyages and other utopian works.

These databases require a Duke NetID.

Novelist Plus
A reader's advisory tool for recent fiction and non-fiction. Search for terms "utopia" and "dystopia" or use the "Genre" search to browse through titles.
MLA International Bibliography
The core database for finding articles on literary topics.

Key Reference Works and Resources

Utopian Literature: A Bibliography
Glenn Negley's bibliography, with a supplementary list of works influential in utopian thought. One of the two major bibliographic resources for utopian literature.
British and American Utopian Literature, 1516-1985: An Annotated, Chronological Bibliography
Lyman Sargent's bibliography, more recently updated and differently organized than Negley's, with brief annotations discussing the content of the books. Extremely useful.
Utopian/Dystopian Literature: A Bibliography of Literary Criticism
A good place to start when looking for criticism on older works.
Dictionary of Literary Utopias
Summaries and criticism of selected utopian works, along with in-depth articles on topics related to utopias. International in scope, especially good for European works.
Utopian Literature: Pre-1900 Imprints
A microfiche publication of 462 works of utopian literature, mostly from Duke's collection.